BGbasbhat
Very Active Member
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After 9 years, my buddy Jim finally got drawn for 17b Archery Antelope hunt here in AZ. We shot our bows all summer (I only shot mine for OTC deer tags..), and were ready to go. We headed up to our spot the night before opening day, and got ready.
We decided that I would sit up on one of the only hills, work the glass, and give him the game report. He had set up a blind on a water hole, which he planned on sitting in for the majority of the hunt. Well, if anybody has ever sat a water hole, you go crazy after a few hours of watching cattle. The water hole blind quickly became a ?when you're too tired to stalk? option.
For the next 3 days, my buddy went on countless stalks across the open prairie (anywhere from ? mile to 3 miles) trying to get close to a nice buck. Up on my perch, I would try to guide him through little hills or depressions or behind a bush or shrub to try and get within range. He got pretty close a couple times; but it always seemed like there would always be something to foil our approach. A buck would turn his head left instead of right, wind would change, does would spot us, buck would get up from his bed..yadda yadda yadda?
The 4th day started just the same, with a couple of long blown stalks. About 11:30 Jim decided to go back to the blind and re-hydrate. He wasn?t back an hour or so, and I decided to take a quick scan around the prairie to see what was happening. 2 bucks had been fighting earlier, so I glassed back to their area only to see nothing. Hmmmm, where?d they go? They had a pretty tough fight, so I figured they'd be bedded or something shading under a tree. Just in case, I scanned north up to Jim?s blind, and sure enough one of the bucks was on a direct line for Jim?s water hole, no doubt about it. I got on the walkie talkie, ?Jimbo, you better wake you're a$$ up!! You got a buck closing quick from the South!! Get up man!! I repeat, coming from the South and closing to 100 yards!!!? Jim never answered back, and I feared the worst. The buck neared the water hole and disappeared down into the depression. Oh man Oh man?. Then a couple seconds later, I saw the buck sprint out and down the hill with blood on his side. Jim answered back, ?ol boy has got a hole in the side of him!!!?. I could help but jump up and down a few times and whoop and holler. I kept my glass on where he stumbled, and was glued to him until Jim got up and had him. A quick pack up and jogged over to the water hole, for some congratulatory handshakes and hollerin?.
Man, what a tough hunt. This was the most time I've spent behind glass and I learned a lot. I was just as happy for my buddy as I would be for myself, and I was proud to be part of a great hunt like that.
My glassing home for 4 days
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![Glassing.jpg]](/xf/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi142.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr86%2FBGbasbhat%2FGlassing.jpg%5D&hash=12cc4de5380a24707b468a64a65d9f6b)
Jimbo, myself, and his buck
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![JimBGLope.jpg]](/xf/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi142.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr86%2FBGbasbhat%2FJimBGLope.jpg%5D&hash=ae44e7bad0f2ad3167faa5735f296cc6)
Jimbo and his buck
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![JimbigLope.jpg]](/xf/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi142.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr86%2FBGbasbhat%2FJimbigLope.jpg%5D&hash=fe575aabf39df2b63536a012543bea02)
Another
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![JimLope.jpg]](/xf/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi142.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr86%2FBGbasbhat%2FJimLope.jpg%5D&hash=cfc5dee77cfa301727b10b9a89047f25)
"...I'd rather be tried by twelve than carried by six..."
We decided that I would sit up on one of the only hills, work the glass, and give him the game report. He had set up a blind on a water hole, which he planned on sitting in for the majority of the hunt. Well, if anybody has ever sat a water hole, you go crazy after a few hours of watching cattle. The water hole blind quickly became a ?when you're too tired to stalk? option.
For the next 3 days, my buddy went on countless stalks across the open prairie (anywhere from ? mile to 3 miles) trying to get close to a nice buck. Up on my perch, I would try to guide him through little hills or depressions or behind a bush or shrub to try and get within range. He got pretty close a couple times; but it always seemed like there would always be something to foil our approach. A buck would turn his head left instead of right, wind would change, does would spot us, buck would get up from his bed..yadda yadda yadda?
The 4th day started just the same, with a couple of long blown stalks. About 11:30 Jim decided to go back to the blind and re-hydrate. He wasn?t back an hour or so, and I decided to take a quick scan around the prairie to see what was happening. 2 bucks had been fighting earlier, so I glassed back to their area only to see nothing. Hmmmm, where?d they go? They had a pretty tough fight, so I figured they'd be bedded or something shading under a tree. Just in case, I scanned north up to Jim?s blind, and sure enough one of the bucks was on a direct line for Jim?s water hole, no doubt about it. I got on the walkie talkie, ?Jimbo, you better wake you're a$$ up!! You got a buck closing quick from the South!! Get up man!! I repeat, coming from the South and closing to 100 yards!!!? Jim never answered back, and I feared the worst. The buck neared the water hole and disappeared down into the depression. Oh man Oh man?. Then a couple seconds later, I saw the buck sprint out and down the hill with blood on his side. Jim answered back, ?ol boy has got a hole in the side of him!!!?. I could help but jump up and down a few times and whoop and holler. I kept my glass on where he stumbled, and was glued to him until Jim got up and had him. A quick pack up and jogged over to the water hole, for some congratulatory handshakes and hollerin?.
Man, what a tough hunt. This was the most time I've spent behind glass and I learned a lot. I was just as happy for my buddy as I would be for myself, and I was proud to be part of a great hunt like that.
My glassing home for 4 days
[
Jimbo, myself, and his buck
[
Jimbo and his buck
[
Another
[
"...I'd rather be tried by twelve than carried by six..."
